Unpredictable
by Jimelda
Summary: Two strangers, Jack and Kate find themselves caught between destiny and choice. The sense of longing, the feeling that something is missing, it's pulling them together too fast to stop. But do they really want to? Jate. Takes place after 6x11.
1. A Chance Meeting

**Title: **Unpredictable  
**Rating: **14A for graphic scenes and content.  
**Summary: **In the alternate universe, Jack and Kate aren't supposed to remember each other. But they are starting to. Maybe this is more than just a coincidence, maybe it's their second chance.  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own the show Lost, nor the song at the beginning of the chapter.  
**A/N: **I got this idea after watching Lost last night, so beware of SPOILERS for all season 6 episodes. And this fic will be spilt into two parts, the second chapter which I will try to upload tomorrow. Also, this fic is strictly Jate - except for a bit of Sawyer at the beginning, with no Skate - for anyone who's been wishing we get to see more Jate on the show.

My inspiration for this chapter was _Drops of Jupiter _by Train. I must have listened to it at least twenty times while writing this. So anyway, here it is. If you like it, please let me know. I love reviews - they make my day. Thanks. :)

* * *

**Chapter 1: A Chance Meeting**

_Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star?_  
_One without a permanent scar?_  
_And did you miss me while you were_  
_Looking for yourself out there?_

People were unpredictable; their lives were never a straight path with all their successes and failures lined up in a neat row. Jack knew that, was used to being surprised by the actions of humankind. But never before had he been so affected by the decision of one person.

The day had seemed relatively normal, holding no sign of what was to come. But as soon as he saw Desmond standing at the front desk, Jack knew things were about to get a lot stranger.

He was confused when the Scottish man said someone from their flight was in the hospital, and for a moment his mind turned to thoughts of the mysterious brunette woman on the plane. Then he saw Desmond's mouth open in shock and he turned, just a second too late, to see what he was looking at.

Suddenly a man with cropped blonde hair, the same man who'd been choking on heroin on the plane, came racing down the hall, shoving a medical tray out of his way.

Jack saw the object come flying at him but he didn't have time to react. The cart hit him straight in the chest, knocking him down. His head cracked against the floor and, before everything went black, he saw Desmond chasing the hospital patient out to the stairwell.

"Charlie," he mumbled, then his vision faded altogether.

* * *

A light, far away in the distance but steadily getting brighter. That was all he could see and, while he was certain he had somewhere more important to be, he was content to float there. His body wasn't physically present but his mind was experiencing the wonderful sensation of the light all the same.

_It's not so bad, _he thought to himself. In fact, it was quite remarkable how at ease he felt in this strange environment. _Must be a dream_. The realization hit him hard and he found himself longing for this moment to be real.

Suddenly a blinding flash lit up the darkness, so bright it hurt to look at. Then an image appeared within the dazzling light. As it came closer, growing more in focus as it did so, he knew without a doubt what it was.

A person, with long wavy hair and a secretive smile. She was looking at him in a way that filled him with a rush of longing unlike any he had ever felt before. It was incredible.

Staring into her deep green eyes, he began to lose himself in their gaze. He wanted to be as near to her as possible, but she was fading from view instead of growing closer. That was when he heard a voice calling his name. It sounded distant and far away, and he wished he could ignore it.

But, being the doctor he was, he immediately heard the sense of urgency in the cry. So he struggled to surface from the darkness, fighting against the overwhelming feeling that he belonged there. That _this, _this place and this woman, was his destiny.

As reality hit him and he opened his eyes, he immediately understood why the woman from his dream had seemed so familiar. She was the brunette from the plane. And, as he blinked and glanced up to see a face covered in freckles staring down at him, the first word out of his mouth was, "Kate."

* * *

She felt the impact as the metal bars slammed into her back. The man with long blonde hair who slammed her against the gate was clearly a cop. But there was something about him, some strange sense of recognition, that put her at ease.

_Snap out of it, Kate_, she commanded herself. She didn't know this guy, and the last thing she needed right now was to be brought to the attention of the police. If he knew what she had done, then no matter how familiar he seemed, he sure wouldn't go easy on her.

"Son of a bitch," he said in a Southern accent, one she could have sworn she'd heard a thousand times before. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded. She didn't answer and her silence infuriated him.

Gripping her wrists tightly, he repeated his question, making each word a separate sentence. "Who. Are. You?"

"Julie," she lied, having to come up with a fake name quickly. She could see by the smirk on his face that he didn't believe her.

"How 'bout we try this again?" he asked seriously, his voice taking on a dangerous edge to it. "What's your name? And tell me the truth this time."

Kate kept her mouth shut. She wasn't about to screw up everything she had gone through to escape so far, just because this stranger was giving her an odd feeling of something similar to déjà vu. So what if he was a cop? She'd outsmarted the police force before.

But this was different. She knew it and she could see that he knew it too. And it frustrated him, so he held her tighter. She could feel her wrists beginning to bruise from his forceful grasp, though she refused to let him see how much pain she was in.

She'd endured worse, that was for sure. And she drew on that knowledge, allowed it to make her stronger. Kate stared straight ahead, her face a mask that was keeping her true emotions hidden.

But he wasn't giving in either and eventually she gasped in pain, feeling as though something in her wrist was about to snap.

"Sawyer, please," she begged, praying he would release her. _Where did that come from? _she wondered, having no idea what the name 'Sawyer' meant.

Instead of making him calmer because she had shown weakness, her words only made him madder. She saw the anger that filled his eyes and, behind it, the same confusion that she knew was present on her own face right now.

"What did you just say?" he asked, his voice low and murderous. "What. Did. You. Say?" He grabbed her arms and shook her fiercely. She squeaked in terror as he smashed her against the hard metal behind her once more.

"Where did you hear that name? Were you listening to what I said in that car? Who the _hell _are you?"

Before he could continue to interrogate her, another man came racing down the alley. The blonde man's partner, Kate presumed. This new observer took one look at the scene in front of him before quickly moving to pry the first man away from her.

"Jim! What are you doing? Let her go!" But Jim pushed him away.

"She called me Sawyer," he grumbled and the other man looked at Kate with a different expression. It was no longer pity, now he was eyeing her suspiciously. The name obviously meant something to both of them, but she had no idea why.

Suddenly Jim pulled out a pair of handcuffs. Kate began to twist and turn, trying to get away from him. There was no way she was letting someone put those on her again.

He was much stronger than she was, though, and he managed to snap one on her wrist after a few moments. As soon as the cool metal touched her skin, she fought harder. "No!" she screamed in terror. It was not going to end this way.

He kept one hand on her arm, the other reaching out to her unhooked wrist. But one well placed kick made him groan in agony and let her go. It was only for a split second, but that was all she needed. Taking off as soon as his hand left her arm, Kate ran as fast as she could.

Hearing Jim and his partner curse and race after her, she quickened her pace. All she needed was to get out of this alley, then she could lose them on the crowded sidewalks.

_Please, _she thought desperately. _I need to get out of here. _She wasn't sure who she was praying to, but when she reached the mouth of the passage, she sighed in relief.

Then she felt hot breath on the back of her neck and she panicked. Stepping out into the street, she knew it was too late to turn back, even when the cars came rushing at her. She could see them moving closer, hear the horns honking as she continued to race forward.

Most of the vehicles screeched to a stop, shouting at her angrily. But one car was going too fast to stop in time. The driver honked at her urgently, warning her to move out of the way. Kate tried to speed up but her feet wouldn't move fast enough and she braced herself before the impact came.

She felt when the car connected with her, the blow sending her flying backward onto the rough asphalt. Her elbow hit the ground first and she screamed in pain when she heard something crack. Then the rest of her body fell onto the road as well and she skidded for a moment until gravity finally pulled her to a stop.

All she could hear was the sound of her own breathing, heavy as she tried to take in enough oxygen. The pain was excruciating, but she knew that she was hardly feeling any of it. Already her senses were shutting down and she felt herself becoming numb. Not fast enough, though.

She lay there, unable to move for what felt like hours but, in reality was only seconds. Then unconsciousness finally claimed her. And when it did, there was no feeling of relief, no escape from the agony.

Her ears were still filled with the sound of her skin scraping along the pavement. And even though she felt no pain, her dreams kept reminding her how bad it would be when she woke up.

The only good thing about passing out was the mysterious man who appeared in her mind. She only caught a fleeting glimpse of him, but it was enough. She took in the short brown hair and serious expression, wanting to reach out and be near him. Then he was gone and her subconscious finally let her rest in peace, everything fading to black as soon as the mysterious man disappeared.

Thankful for the relief of nothingness, Kate sunk into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Jack?" the woman with the freckles asked. "I'm not Kate. I'm Kelly, don't you remember me?" It took him a moment to realize that the woman in front of him looked nothing like the woman from the plane.

"Where's Kate?" he asked slowly. His brain was fuzzy and it took him a while to connect the name with the face. It didn't make any sense, but he knew Kate was the brunette he'd bumped into on the plane.

Kelly, now he remembered she was a part-time nurse working at St. Sebastian's, stared at him strangely. "Who's Kate?"

"I...don't know." He was beginning to hear how ridiculous he sounded, so he didn't say anything else. "I should get back to work." Jack said, sitting up dizzily. He noticed he was lying on a hospital bed and he wondered how he had gotten there.

She eyed him doubtfully when he tried to stand up and swayed slightly. "Are you sure you're okay? I think you should lie back down for a bit," she suggested. He shrugged off her concern, there were more important things to worry about.

"How long was I out?" he asked, hoping he hadn't wasted too much time in unconsciousness.

"Ten or fifteen minutes, I guess. Marc helped bring you in here. We were really worried, you know." Jack sighed. He was supposed to be at a consult twenty minutes ago and he'd already been late before getting hit by that damn cart.

But he didn't want to seem ungrateful, so he flashed her a smile as he walked out of the room. "Well thanks for keeping an eye on me." Kelly smiled in return and Jack got a feeling that she hadn't stayed by her side just to be friendly.

Shaking off the thought, Jack focused his mind on the task ahead. Then, as he stood in the hallway, trying to think about what he was supposed to do now, he saw a stretcher being wheeled down to the operation room. The patient was covered in blood, but when he looked past the red liquid he could see that the person lying on the stretcher was a woman.

Then his heart began to beat faster when he recognized her. Frizzy brown hair matted with blood framed her face, which was oddly unexpressive, because she was unconscious. Kate, he knew with absolute certainty that it was her.

"What happened?" he asked one of the EMTs wheeling her in. Keeping pace with the stretcher, he couldn't seem to take his eyes off her face.

"She was hit by a car a few minutes ago." Then he leaned closer, lowering his voice. "But I think she was running from someone, take a look at her wrist." Jack turned his gaze away from Kate's face and was startled to see the silver chain of a handcuff hanging from one of her wrists.

"She's probably got some broken bones and her elbow wasn't looking so good," the EMT continued. He shook his head sympathetically. "Poor thing."

"Do you know who the operating doctor is?" Jack asked, his concern growing, even though he barely knew this woman.

"Nope, I was just told to wheel her in. I'm still on duty, so I have to get back soon. And hey, since you're here, can you take her the rest of the way? We just got another call down on Fourth and Main, so I really gotta go. Thanks man," he said, passing the stretcher to Jack without waiting for a reply. Then he turned and ran back down the hall, leaving Jack in an empty corridor with Kate.

He was strangely reluctant to be so close to her, even though she wasn't awake. And he was overcome with a strong need to protect her. But now that the two were alone together, the feeling was unnerving.

Though as he looked down at her face once more, brushing a loose strand of hair off her forehead, he felt his spirits soar at their chance meeting. And suddenly he was positive that she was the one he'd been searching for, even though he hadn't known he'd been searching in the first place.

So he continued wheeling her forward, determined to do whatever it took to fix her up.

* * *

TBC...

Up next: Kate wakes up and is in for the shock of her life.

And I am still updating Remembering as well. But since I have to finish this first, the next chapter for Remembering may not be updated until some time later this weekend. :)


	2. The Feeling of Truth

Thanks so much for all of the reviews, I'm glad everyone seems to be enjoying this fic so far. And I think I'm going to have to make it at least three chapters, the story is taking longer to play out than I thought it would. So look forward to another chapter next weekend. :)

And thank you to **K. Palafox **for the help with this chapter. I would have never been able to write it without you!

The song is _Running Away _by Midnight Hour. They aren't a very well-known band, but the song is amazing. It was featured in a wonderful episode of Ghost Whisperer and I have loved it ever since.

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Feeling of Truth**

_Don't lie and say that it's okay.  
It's alright here, there's nothing more to say.  
So I'm running away,  
I'm leaving this place.  
Yeah, I'm running away,  
I'm running away._

_And faster than you can follow me from this lonely place.  
And farther than you can find me, I'm leaving,  
Yeah I'm leaving today.  
And I, I'll never let you find me.  
I'm leaving you behind with the past,  
No, I won't look back.  
And I don't want to hear your reasons.  
Don't want to hear you tell me why I should stay._

Kate awoke to find one of her arms strapped to her chest, the rest of her body covered in aches and pains. And she couldn't help it, instantly she panicked. She'd always hated being restrained, but now this was worse. Without opening her eyes, she could almost picture the jail cell she was surely placed in.

The overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia made her thrash around violently, even though one arm was still unmovable. Then a wave of pain hit her, feeling like nothing she had ever endured before. She thought she'd experienced agony many times throughout her life, but she realized all of those previous ordeals were nothing compared to this. This was torture.

And so she screamed.

Suddenly a hand came to rest on her shoulder, the shoulder that wasn't too sore. She stiffened, not even wanting to think about who was touching her. As soon as she stopped moving, the hand quickly left her shoulder. But she could still sense the presence of another person beside her.

Kate felt herself starting to shake so she opened her eyes before her imagination got out of control. As she had grown older, she'd learned that reality usually wasn't as bad as the creations of her own mind.

Nevertheless, when she saw the bright lights shining above her, she didn't understand. At that moment, her entire situation became that much more confusing. And confusion was never a good thing.

So she curled up in a ball, as much as her sore arm would allow. From her position she had a clear view of the green curtain hanging down in front of her. But she could also see the crisp white sheets she was lying underneath, and now she felt the soft pillow beneath her head as well.

Those images, combined with the smell of disinfectant and the faint odour of blood helped Kate come to the conclusion that she was in a hospital. This wasn't so bad, she realized. It was easier to escape from a hospital than a jail cell after all.

Why was she here, though? That was the first thing she had to find out before she could leave. _What's the last thing I remember? _she asked herself. There had been a cop, she knew that much – the one who had seemed so familiar. He'd caught her as she ran past his car, but then she'd managed to escape.

The last memory she had was of an object speeding towards her amidst the screech of tires and the honking of horns. And after that, nothing.

She shuddered slightly, not enjoying the scene in her mind. Then, hearing movement behind her, Kate flipped over and cried out in pain when she rolled onto her injured arm. She bit her lip to stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks as she stared up into a very familiar face. Soon she blinked and the familiarity was gone, leaving a kind but complete stranger looking down at her. All she knew was that he was a doctor – because he was wearing a lab coat.

"How are you feeling?" the man asked gently. His voice was relaxing and despite her best efforts, Kate found herself falling into his deep brown eyes. Slowly she rolled onto her back after realizing that she was still lying on her unmovable arm.

Seeing the sling strap on her shoulder, suddenly the rest of her memories came rushing back. She remembered the car, the impact that sent her flying across the road, her limbs sprawled out around her. And now here she was.

"What...what happened to me?" she asked, meaning medical-wise.

"Well based on your bruising and the extent of your injuries it's clear that you were hit by a car," he explained clinically. Then he paused as if trying to decide whether or not to tell her something. Kate took the brief silence to study him carefully.

His face was friendly – open enough that she could read the emotions as they played out across it – and he had short brown hair. For a moment she imagined his hair to be even shorter, almost cropped, but then it was gone.

As she stared, the fragments of a dream tugged at Kate's consciousness. It took her a moment to realize why he looked so familiar, then it came to her. This was the man from her dream – the one who had chased her nightmares away. Kate had no idea why she was dreaming about a person she had never met, but she knew without a doubt that the doctor standing in front of her and the man from her dream were one and the same.

What was happening to her? _Have I been given medication? _she wondered. She felt fine, other than the aches all over her body, but she had no clue what had gone on while she'd been passed out. Even though she knew the doctors would only want to help her, the idea was frightening none the less.

"You, uh, had some other bruising around your wrists though," the doctor continued softly. As soon as he said it, Kate felt her wrists begin to throb and she understood why. The blonde haired cop, he'd grabbed them, enough to leave bruises.

But she didn't say anything. Until she found out what exactly was going on, Kate wasn't giving anything away.

Her silence made the doctor frown slightly, then he brushed it off and flashed her a smile. "I'm being rude aren't I? You must be pretty confused right now, sorry about that." He ran his hand through his hair, a nervous gesture. Kate didn't know why he was nervous, as a doctor he probably had to talk to patients all the time.

She'd begun to realize that this situation was different though. Something had passed between them, something neither of them quite understood and maybe it scared him as much as it was scaring her right now.

If he was terrified though, he wasn't about to show it. Instead he stuck out his hand, giving them both a chance to start this uncomfortable meeting over again. "My name is Jack. Jack Shephard. And I'm the doctor who operated on you when you were brought in yesterday."

Kate stared at his extended hand, processing what he'd just said. "Yesterday? I've been here for a whole day?!" Her voice was rising in panic as she thought about how much time had gone by. She knew it had been afternoon when she'd dashed out into the street the previous day.

"What time is it now?" she demanded, trying to keep her fear under control.

Jack chuckled under his breath. "It's morning. Don't worry, you haven't been unconscious for long. We had to get you to the ER right away to clean up your injuries, but there was nothing serious." Kate eyed her shoulder sling doubtfully and he smirked. "Well, other than a hairline proximal ulnar fracture."

As her eyebrows knitted together in confusion, he laughed deeply. Kate found herself starting to enjoy listening to him. Jack's voice was soft and mysterious, while at the same time remaining polite and clinical. And his laugh was contagious. Soon she found herself giggling along with him, though nothing about the situation was very amusing at all.

_Oh god, I have been medicated, _she realized. Eventually she managed to control her somewhat hysterical laughter and she focused her attention back on Jack.

"Hairline proxy what?" she asked, still not understanding.

"You broke your arm," he stated simply, making Kate feel like an idiot. When she blushed, he ran a hand through his hair again. "Sorry, I'm not trying to out-smart you or anything. I guess I just haven't really talked like this to a patient in a while."

Despite her anxiety to get away, Kate was beginning to have some fun. "Like what?" she asked flirtatiously, making Jack attempt to stutter out a response.

"Uh, for more than a few seconds. Usually I just give them their diagnosis and then leave." An awkward silence filled the room once he finished talking. Kate shifted uncomfortably on the bed, scratching at her sling absently.

Jack put out a hand to stop her. "You really shouldn't do that, you know. If the skin gets irritated, it will only feel worse. And you're going to have to leave the sling on for a month or two. I've made you an appointment to come back two weeks from now, if that's okay."

Kate doubted she would still be in town at that point but she smiled and nodded. Jack nodded too. "Good, good," he muttered to himself.

Before the tension in the room could get even worse, a knock on the door made them both jump. A nurse with bright red hair poked her head in, motioning for Jack to come talk in the hallway. He patted Kate's leg gently as he walked away, looking back once more before shutting the door behind him.

Grateful to have a moment alone, Kate quickly scanned the room. From the little part that she could see, it was clear that there were no other exits. She debated climbing out one of the small windows, but with her immovable arm combined with the unknown height of the drop, she decided against it.

It didn't matter anyway because Jack was back inside before she could even get out of the bed. "There's someone here to see you," he said.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Kate was in action. She rolled off the bed, ignoring the rush of pain and dizziness she felt as she stood up. Her terror about the mysterious visitor was what kept her going, dashing past Jack and out into the hallway.

It took him a while to react, but once Jack understood what was happening he was tearing off down the hallway after Kate. "Hey wait!" he shouted after her. Despite her injuries, she didn't slow down. Instead she ran faster, panicking at the sound of his voice.

"Dammit," Jack muttered under his breath, chasing behind her. She was fast, he had to admit, but she was also not in her best shape so he easily caught up with her. He clasped his hand around her wrist, only remembering the bruising when she cried out.

Immediately he let go, ashamed of himself. "Sorry," he whispered and Kate finally skidded to a stop then reluctantly turned towards him. Her eyes were shining bright with fear but she held her ground.

"I...can't," she admitted before taking off again. Jack cursed again and was tempted to let her go. There was no point in forcing her to stay in the hospital, he'd already treated as many of her immediate wounds as possible. But it was against his nature to just let things go. That strange attraction he felt towards Kate, it wasn't going away. And he wasn't just going to let this mysterious woman slip through his fingers.

So he tore after her, sliding around a corner and nearly crashing into the wall on the other side. Instead he ran into Kate, who was standing frozen in the middle of the hallway.

"Ah! Sorry," Jack shouted as he tried to stop himself from colliding with her. She didn't even notice him. There was a look of pure terror on her face and Jack spun to see what she was staring at.

The first thing he saw was a flash of dark hair, then a friendly smile. As the Hispanic woman gradually walked into full view, Jack was hit with a strong sense of déjà vu. Not about the moment, just the person. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn he'd met her before.

And from her expression, he was certain Kate was thinking the same thing. _It's strange how I know how she's feeling even though I've only talked to her for a few minutes_, he reflected briefly.

"There you are, took long enough. Did you get lost on the way here or somethin'?" The woman directed her question at Kate, but the brunette had no answer.

Jack took that as a sign to step in. "She's the one who came to see you," he told Kate gently. "When she heard you were at this hospital – "

"Yeah, I came to check on you, okay?" the woman finished impatiently. "Can we get on with this already? I'm Ana Lucia. And I'd say nice to meet you but these aren't exactly the greatest circumstances."

Kate continued to stand there, open-mouthed. Ana Lucia rolled her eyes then slowly walked over and stuck out her hand, waiting for Kate to shake it.

And after a moment she did, using her free hand gingerly. "Lucy," she introduced herself.

Jack was startled that she used a fake name, even though she had never actually told him her name he knew for certain that it was Kate. But he didn't say anything, waiting to see what she would do next.

"And thanks for coming to check on me, really. But I'm fine, don't worry about me." She tried to turn away, but the sudden seriousness in Ana Lucia's voice stopped her.

"You really don't remember, do you?"

Kate could only gape at her, eyes wide. Jack, on the other hand, frowned unhappily. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he demanded, angry that Ana Lucia was playing games with Kate when she was unwell.

"Oh cut the crap. We both know that this little invalid here is Kate, not some goddam Lucy." Kate recoiled as Ana Lucia put her hand on her injured shoulder. "Relax, I'm just trying to help. You'll thank me one day."

And as soon as the woman's arm came in contact with her skin, a torrent of images flooded Kate's vision. Each passed by so briefly that she couldn't get a good look at them. But she thought she saw Ana Lucia's body slumped against a couch and she definitely heard herself say, "She's dead."

Kate gasped for air once the images finally disappeared, swaying on her feet and weakly trying to pry Ana's hand away.

"What did you see?" the Hispanic woman questioned.

Jack stepped forward, pulling Kate away from Ana Lucia and towards him. "What was that? Did you do something to her?" he asked as Kate sagged against him. "And what do you mean 'help'? I don't think you're helping anybody!"

"It won't work if I tell you. I'm just supposed to help you out a bit," Ana Lucia replied cryptically.

"And how are you going to do that?" Jack wasn't buying any of this, but he kept playing along until he could figure out more about the situation.

"Like this." And before he could react, Ana pushed Kate away, wrapped her own arms around Jack's neck and pulled him into a kiss. He tried to push her away until he felt another set of lips on his and suddenly he didn't want to fight anymore.

Though he knew he was kissing Ana, in his mind it was as if his lips were locked against Kate's. And then the scene in front of him changed. He was no longer standing in the too-bright hospital corridor. Instead he was in a dimly lit hallway, Kate's warm body pressed against his. In his mind he deepened the kiss as she wrapped her legs around him. He wanted to be as close to her as possible, instinctively tightening his hold on her.

The intimacy and tenderness of the moment startled him. But he didn't get a chance to delve deeper into the scene because the vision ended once Ana Lucia broke away from him. They were both slightly breathless and she was resting against him.

Jack tried to untangle himself from her clutching limbs, giving up after a brief futile effort. He blinked and looked around, becoming aware that a solid object was resting against his back. And once his head stopped spinning, he discerned that it was the wall.

Then he felt the heat rising to his face as he thought about the scene he'd just witnessed in his mind. His broke Ana's grasp and stepped away from her, all the while his eyes scanning the hall for Kate. Eventually he found her standing a few feet away with an expression of disgust on her face.

Jack didn't even want to think about how she'd just seen him react to Ana's kiss. _What the hell is wrong with me? _he wondered.

Pushing aside his tangle of feelings, Jack was about to apologize for his embarrassing and unprofessional display of sexual behaviour. But Kate had already fled the opposite way. Starting to run after her, Jack was stopped when Ana held him back.

"Well, what did you see?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry but I have no idea what you're talking about," Jack replied scathingly, his patience wearing thin after he'd just made a complete fool out of himself.

"Don't lie to me Jack, I know you felt it."

Growing impatient, Jack couldn't help snapping at her. "Felt what for god's sake? And how do you know my name? I never introduced myself."

Ana sighed dramatically and nodded at his coat. Jack flushed in embarrassment when he remembered his name was stitched on the front. _Damn it, why am I acting like such an idiot today? _He thought back to his accident yesterday with the medical cart. Maybe the crack to his skull had screwed up something in his brain.

"But that's not important right now. What matters is what you saw," she repeated forcefully.

"And what the hell was I supposed to see?!" he shouted, startling a nurse who was walking down the hallway. Jack knew he was causing a scene and he could only hope that no one had seen him kissing Ana.

She glared at him deeply, frustrated that he wasn't understanding. "The truth," she said simply.

"Well that's great," Jack scoffed. "But 'the truth' is I have to go." Then he was off again, chasing after Kate once more and leaving Ana Lucia standing there speechless. But as Jack rounded the corner, she smirked in satisfaction, her job here finished.

* * * * *

Walking away down the hallway, Ana thought back to the incident yesterday that had changed her life. She'd been driving to a meeting, down a crowded street when all of a sudden a woman ran out into the traffic.

As she got a good look at that woman's face, memories of beaches and forests came rushing back to her. And along with the scenery, Ana saw that woman – Kate, she knew – along with a bunch of other strangers she had never met before.

But deep down she also knew that these people were more than strangers. She knew them somehow – not in this timeline, but an alternate one. And as ridiculous as it sounded, in her heart she was absolutely certain that it was true.

Though in the time it took for her to have this life-altering experience, she'd reacted a second too late as Kate came charging out into her lane. The thud and loud screeching of tires still haunted her more than she would like to admit. And that was part of the reason she came here today, to make sure Kate was alright. It was true – she didn't want any more deaths on her conscience.

But Ana had other, more meaningful reasons for her presence here today as well. Somehow she understood how important it was that others remember their alternate lives as well. And she'd thought it would be best to start with Kate. Finding Jack here had been an unexpected bonus, a 'kill two birds with one stone' kind of situation.

Not that it was surprising to find the two of them together. On the Island they had been inseparable, when Ana herself wasn't getting between them at least. Even though they didn't remember each other, it was as if fate had drawn them together. Ana had never been a big believer in destiny, but now she found herself starting to think about it more and more.

Would her involvement be enough to bring Jack and Kate's other memories back? Ana Lucia didn't know, but either way that was up to them now. She had more important things to do...

* * *

Up next: Jate time, involving an elevator and a special guest! Will our favourite couple finally remember? Does free will exist or is it their destiny to be together? ;)

I'm trying to put this in context with what we are learning on the show, which is why I added Ana Lucia to this chapter. ;) I hope it's not too confusing for anyone!


	3. Maybe it's Fate

I honestly am ashamed at myself for taking so long to update things. And I know I promised a chapter of Remembering next, but I really wanted to finish this before tonight's episode. Other than a possible epilogue for this fic, which I'm not yet sure if I'm going to post, my next goal is definitely to finish another chapter for Remembering. :)

The song is _Suddenly I See_ by KT Tunstall.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Maybe it's Fate**

_Her face is a map of the world,  
Is a map of the world.  
You can see she's a beautiful girl,  
She's a beautiful girl  
And everything around her is a silver pool of light.  
The people who surround her feel the benefit of it.  
It makes you calm.  
She holds you captivated in her palm.  
_  
_Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)  
This is what I wanna be.  
Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)  
Why the hell it means so much to me._

Weaving through the maze of hallways, Jack began to wonder if it was futile trying to catch someone who obviously wanted nothing more than to escape. What did it matter anyway? Other than the strange feelings he kept having about her, Jack had no reason to make her stay.

Still, some part of him just couldn't let her go. It didn't make sense, wasn't rational at all, but it was true. It was in his very nature to not let mysteries like this go and, after what had just happened in the hallway between him and Ana, he definitely needed some answers. So he sped up, straining to catch sight of Kate as he raced down one hallway after another, knowing who he was chasing was someone much more important than an escaping patient.

* * *

Kate was tearing through the hospital as fast as she could. She'd finally managed to lose Jack and, hopefully Ana Lucia, but the problem was she had no idea where she was going. Keeping an eye out for a staircase or elevator, she continued forward, not knowing what else to do.

As she rounded yet another corner, she ran smack into something solid on the other side. Letting out a frightened squeak, the sound died in her throat when she saw what, or rather who, she'd run into.

Eyes as deep as the ocean bored into her, freezing her in place, and a cocky smile appeared on his lips, twisting his face into a mockery of triumph. Jim. He appeared exactly the same as when she last saw him, blonde hair hanging in his face, framing his sharp cheekbones and perfectly tanned skin.

If she was being honest with herself, he was one of the most stunningly attractive men she'd ever laid eyes on. And he frightened her as much as he drew her in.

But when he spoke, his voice low and dangerous, his charm melted away with his words.

"I found ya', Sweetheart."

As soon as he said it, something in Kate's mind flashed back to memories long forgotten. Memories of hiding underneath a bed or in a closet, frightened of whatever was waiting in the darkness.

He raised an eyebrow, taking in her injuries with a hint of amusement lighting up his eyes. "Damn, that car sure did a number on you, huh?"

"How did you find me?" Kate asked, hating how weak her voice sounded.

"Hell, it sure wasn't easy, 'specially since ya' were loaded in the goddam ambulance before we could figure out where they were takin' ya'. I had Miles follow behind ya' but the idiot lost track of where the ambulance was goin', so we've been searchin' for ya' at all the local hospitals ever since. Guess it's fate that I get to find ya' 'n bring ya' in."

He reached his hand out to her slowly, taunting her by showing how powerless she was. And just like that, Kate sprung into action.

She whirled around, dashing off in the opposite direction. He caught her before she'd run more than five steps away. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her close to him.  
"Where'd my handcuffs go?" he whispered, meaning the pair he had snapped onto her wrist yesterday. His breath was warm against her skin and Kate could feel herself flushing at his closeness, despite her terror.

"Not gonna answer, huh? Well damn, I guess it don't matter anyway, judging by the look of ya'," he said, eyeing the arm she had strapped against her chest.

Once again Kate found herself struggling against him, the very thought of being caught and sent to jail putting her panic into overdrive. And once again he reacted too quickly, his strength proving too much for her to overcome.

Just as he was pressing her up against a wall, twisting her good arm painfully behind her back and putting too much pressure on her damaged one, a familiar voice nearly made her cry in relief.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jack's stern voice echoed loudly through the hallway.

Kate felt a tremor go through the cop at Jack's unexpected arrival, but he didn't release his grip on her. Instead he only pushed her harder against the plain white wall.

The crushing weight against her became too much for Kate's already throbbing arm. She screamed in pain, trying to get free without popping her other arm out of its socket.

Jack reacted to the sound of her cry, racing forward and ripping her out of Jim's grasp. He stepped in front of her, eyeing the detective menacingly.

"You better have a really good explanation for what you were just doing, or I am gonna call the cops and haul your ass off to jail faster than you can blink."

Jim straightened up, not about to be intimidated by some smart-ass doctor. "Well you're in luck, 'cause I am the cops," he said dryly. He took out his badge, flipping it open and holding it up high so Jack could see. "Detective James Ford at your service."

Kate, who was still hiding behind Jack and trying to focus past the pain of her broken arm, felt her heart beat faster at the sound of his name. 'James' suited him much better than 'Jim'. If only she could figure out why she kept thinking of him as 'Sawyer'...

Watching James' face, she saw the sense of victory he felt from talking down to the doctor. She watched Jack's hands clench into fists at his sides and she knew that James had gotten to him. But no way in hell would he show that to the cop.

He glanced back at Kate and must have seen something in her eyes because he gave her a smile filled with warmth and tenderness.

"So what do you want with her?" Jack asked, turning back to James. Kate noticed he didn't use her name, as if he didn't want to give her away.

The detective scoffed, his eyes glinting as he sensed another victory. "Well, let's just see here," he said loudly, his condescending tone thick with smugness. Kate watched as he pulled a piece of paper out of his back pocket. She already knew what it would read.

"Katherine Anne Austen. Wanted for first degree murder, arson 'n assault on a federal office, to name a few of your charges."

If she hadn't been standing so close to him, Kate wouldn't have noticed how Jack's body suddenly went very still. Her heart sank as he looked back at her and she read the now-familiar expression of distrust on his face.

"Betcha' weren't expectin' that when ya' took the damn handcuff off her wrist yesterday, huh Doc?" James gloated.

Jack was still frowning but he kept his gaze locked on Kate, the question in his eyes easy to read. Was she really guilty of all that?

She swallowed thickly past the lump of emotion forming in her throat. It had been a long time since anyone actually asked her if those accusations were true. Jack looked so hopeful that she wasn't actually a criminal and Kate was certain he would believe whatever she told him.

Tears filled her eyes, no matter how hard she tried to stop them, at his silent gesture of trust. And suddenly she couldn't speak, too afraid to say the wrong thing.

Oddly enough, her fear of rejection from Jack was worse than her fear of being locked up in jail. She didn't know how that was possible, she'd only known him for a few hours, but he was fast becoming a very important part of her life.

Her mind flashed back to the dream she'd had of him, chasing her nightmares away, and she wondered if it was a premonition of some kind. Or was it something more? A sign that she and Jack were always meant to be together? That it was their destiny?

_Why am I thinking about this now? _she asked herself. There were much more important things to be concerned about, like not getting caught. James was still distracted by glaring at Jack, and Kate saw her chance to escape.

But this time as she ran – something she was becoming more and more accustomed to doing –she felt a surge of regret for leaving Jack behind and she wished fiercely he could come with her, wherever she was going.

* * *

Watching her retreating form disappear from view as she rounded a corner, Jack wasn't sure if he wanted to chase after Kate or stay where he was and continue his life without her.

Just thinking about leaving her behind made the crushing weight of her absence crash down on him like a tidal wave. He shuddered at how alone and empty he felt without Kate nearby. How was it possible that he'd become so attached to this complete stranger?

_Because we belong together. _The thought came, unbidden, into his mind and he couldn't shake the sense that it was right. Maybe that's why he and Kate kept being pushed together, one way or another, from the plane to his hospital.

He'd never been a big believer in destiny, but recent events had started to change his mind. And if it was true, that he and Kate were supposed to be together, then how could he just let her go?

The answer was clear; he couldn't.

James must have seen the change in his expression, because he reached into his pocket for his extra pair of handcuffs. Dangling them from his fingers, he looked Jack straight in the eyes, his lips set in a serious frown.

"I'm gonna have to follow her, ya' know," he said. Jack was about to respond, but the cop held up his hand. "Just a warnin' for ya', Doc. If ya' go chasin' after this girl, she's gonna break your heart."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jack demanded, shocked.

James didn't answer. He stood, unmoving for a few seconds until he blinked fiercely and gazed around him, as if coming out of a trance. He took in Jack's open mouth and snorted. "Ya' look like a fish that's just had a run-in with a stun gun, Doc. What're ya' starin' at?"

Jack wasn't sure what to say, he wasn't even sure what had just happened. "What did you mean?" he asked, trying to figure out what was going on. "Why is Kate going to break my heart?"

James chuckled nervously. "I dunno. You two got somethin' goin' on, Doc? Ain't it against the rules to date your patients?"

"How am I supposed to know? You're the one who said it, for god's sake!"

"Ya' know what, I think you're nuttier than I first thought, Jackass," came James' reply. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Jack felt a sense of familiarity surround him at the mention of the nickname. James shifted from side to side nervously and it was obvious he felt it too.

Shaking off the strange sensation, Jack kept up his interrogation. "You just said it to me. Are you telling me you don't remember?"

"Hell no. Why would I tell ya' anything 'bout our favourite run-away criminal breakin' your heart? I may not be a damn school teacher, but I know stupidity when I see it. 'N that, Doc, would be a stupid thing to say."

_Is he being serious? _Jack wondered. From the confused look James was giving him, Jack assumed he wasn't lying. _So what was that about? Why doesn't he remember?_

Ignoring his sudden sense of foreboding, Jack turned around and stormed after Kate, leaving the cop standing in the hallway, wearing a very baffled expression.

"I will catch her, Jack. 'N when I do, you might be lookin' at some charges for aiding a fugitive too." James' shout echoed down the hallway, mocking him. Jack waited for the sound of footsteps behind him, but they never came.

He figured James must be taking another route, though he didn't know if it was to give him and Kate a head start or to cut them off before they could escape. Either way, Jack wasn't about to waste any more time standing here. He quickened his pace, needing to get to Kate before James did.

* * *

He finally spotted her, dashing into an elevator up ahead. Not going to let the opportunity fade away, Jack stepped inside just as the doors were closing. Kate's gasp made him realize he startled her.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you, I just wanted to talk."

She bristled instantly. "There's nothing to talk about!" she shouted as she backed up towards the doors, but they closed before she could escape again.

She knew right away how trapped she was and her earlier feelings of claustrophobia came back, except this was much, much worse. Kate eyed Jack warily, making sure he kept his distance as she pressed the button for the ground floor.

Only when the elevator gave a sudden jolt and began moving down did she relax slightly; this would all be over soon. _Just hang in there until then, _she instructed herself.

But the jolting and shaking continued, shoving her around the small space. Somehow along the way she lost her balance and ended up in Jack's arms. That wasn't her greatest concern, however, because the elevator dropped a few more feet – she heard its cables screaming eerily in protest – and then stopped.

While Kate tried to figure out what had just happened, the absolute silence made her ears ring. She sank lower in Jack's arms, trying to stop the room from spinning around her.

Jack tightened his hold on her, feeling her body go slack. "Hey, you okay?" he asked softly.

She waited for her eyes to stop seeing double before she nodded. "What happened?"

"The elevator must be broken again. This has happened before and I guess no one fixed it properly last time."

His explanation did nothing to reassure her. "How long will it take before they get us out of here?" she wondered aloud, not expecting an answer.

"Could be anywhere between one to six hours," he responded cheerily as he realized this worked out better than he'd hoped. Kate couldn't help smirking.

"Well, it seems we've got nothing but time. So what did you want to talk about?"

* * *

They started by discussing the events that led to her accident. Kate didn't give much away, but Jack understood that she was running away from James and his partner. And as time went by, the two began sharing more personal stories.

Jack talked about his son David – "He's such a great kid, reminds me of myself when I was young" – and Kate told him what it was like to grow up on a farm.

Eventually they got to the topic of the plane – Jack was surprised she even remembered meeting him there – what they were doing on it and what they did after arriving home. Kate, very reluctantly, described her escape from the Marshal. How she tried to use Jack's pen to get rid of her handcuffs and, when that failed, fled the airport in a taxi.

"I don't know what I'm going to do if he finds me again," she whispered, shuddering at the thought. By now they were both sitting on the floor, Kate a few inches away from Jack. She had her knees tucked up to her chin – as much as her bandaged arm would allow – and was resting her head on them, staring vacantly across the elevator.

Jack shifted closer and wrapped his arms around her. Instead of flinching away at his touch, Kate melted into him, sighing in relief. He rubbed her back gently, soothing her bruised and aching muscles.

"I can't stay here, you know," she mumbled. His hands paused briefly, then continued massaging her good shoulder.

"You don't have to leave, Kate. Why don't you stay with me for a while? I promise I'll keep you safe."

The raw truth in his voice made her eyes well up with tears again – damn, she was crying a lot today – and, without fully understanding what she was doing, Kate angled herself upward and searched until she found Jack's lips. Pressing her mouth against his, she forced herself against him.

She felt his body go rigid for a moment, but she didn't stop kissing him and soon he responded to her contact. Their lips moved together as the kiss deepened, releasing emotions in Kate that were more meaningful than anything she'd felt before. Finally she pulled away, scared of how connected she was feeling towards Jack, and how desperate she was for more of him.

"Kate, did you really kill someone? If we're going to do this, I have to know," Jack said, breaking the silence. She noticed he was panting slightly and eyeing her with an expression akin to wonder.

She glanced up, eyeing him sharply. "Do what, Jack? It was just a kiss..." but she trailed off, they both knew it was so much more than that. She still didn't want to answer his question, though. What if he didn't believe her?

As her mind was going around and around in circles, Jack waited patiently. He didn't press her for an answer, even though she knew they were running out of time. Elevators could only be broken for so long before someone was bound to fix them.

Taking a deep breath, Kate knew what she had to do. It was better this way, it was what everyone else wanted to hear.

"Yes," the simple word nearly pushed her over the edge, already tears were filling her vision. "I killed someone. I didn't want to but I had to."

Jack surprised her by slamming his palm against the wall of the elevator. "Kate, why are you lying to me?" he whispered, forcing himself to get his anger under control.

Kate nearly reeled back in shock. How did he know? Still too afraid to admit the truth, she acted like she didn't know what he was talking about. "What do you mean?" she asked innocently, putting just the right amount of hurt and annoyance into her voice.

Jack wasn't buying it, though. He stared at her and Kate felt as if his eyes were gazing right at her very soul. "Why can't you tell me the truth? Why are you taking the blame for something you didn't do?"

"Okay, what the hell are you trying to say? That you think I'm innocent but am lying to the police about it?" she snapped, losing her patience.

His reply shook her to her very core, making her question the firm disbelief she'd always had in mind readers and psychics.

"Yes." The unwavering certainty in his voice was frightening.

"Well if you're so sure, then why are you asking me?" she countered, not fully understanding what was happening between them.

"Because I need to hear you say it, Kate. I need you to know that you can trust me and don't have to lie to me." The unexpected tenderness in his voice was too much for her. After so many years of bottling up her emotions, pretending everything was fine, Kate Austen broke down. As if a dam had burst inside of her, everything she'd ever felt came spilling out of her mouth and there was nothing she could do to stop the flood of words now.

"Fine! You're right! It wasn't me, I didn't kill anyone. But the world has to think it was me, so I keep pretending, letting myself get caught and then escaping all over again. And why in god's name am I doing that? Huh, Jack? I'll tell you why! Because it's my goddam destiny, that's why! I didn't kill him, but I sure as hell thought about it. I was supposed to, that's what I was meant to do.

"But I was too scared, so someone else did it for me. And every day I am haunted by that, knowing I didn't have the courage to do what I was born to do. It kills me, Jack. So no matter how much it scares me to go to jail someday, I accept it because I am not going to let anyone else suffer for me."

When she finished, the silence that filled the elevator was so dense that she could almost see it swirling around the room. The only sound was her sniffling as she tried to control the tears spilling down her cheeks.

Jack remained very still, trying to process what she'd just said. Her mention of destiny sent shivers down his spine and a voice inside of his was screaming that this was his destiny. To be here with Kate, to guide her.

And suddenly he knew what to say, the words that were coming to him so familiar it was as if he'd said very similar ones before.

"What we did and who we were before, who we were supposed to be, it doesn't matter now. This," he gestured around at the elevator, "here and now is a new beginning. We all deserve a chance to start over, even you Kate. And right now it's your chance."

Then he did something else that was completely unexpected, though Kate was finding it harder to be surprised by the many different sides to this man. He reached over and, brushing back a strand of her tangled, blood-matted hair – making her wish desperately that she could have a shower – he gently wiped a tear from her face.

Cupping her face in his hands, he pressed his lips against hers once more. This time Kate didn't try to fight the onslaught of feelings, instead she embraced them. Deepening the kiss, she caught a glimpse of something else, something that felt strangely like another life.

Trees swayed in the breeze above but all that mattered was the man in front of her. Jack, his body glistening with sweat and looking more handsome than she could ever have imagined. He wasn't looking at her, he was staring off in the distance. Though in that moment, that glimpse, Kate felt more at home than she ever had before.

When she and Jack broke apart, both breathing heavily, they stared at each other in complete shock. She didn't even have to ask if he'd seen that as well, she could tell from the passion that lit up his eyes.

Now it was her turn. She launched herself against him, so forcefully that he slammed against the wall. Kate laced her moveable arm around his neck, pulling him closer in anticipation for what was to come.

Their lips met again and this time their kissing wasn't filled with a frantic sense of urgency. Now it was tender and bursting with love.

Another vision filled Kate's mind. She saw a dark-lit room and, looking closer, could make out Jack's slightly illuminated form, as well as that of a young boy. He had tussled blonde hair and was sleeping soundly.

Her attention was drawn back to Jack when his soft voice filled the room. She could see that he was reading from a book and smiled, listening to him intently.

"_I wonder if I've been changed in the night. Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? But if I'm not the same, the next question is who in the world am I? Aha, that's the great puzzle._"

Before she could get another look at the sleeping child, whom she felt so inexplicably drawn to, Jack pulled away and broke whatever connection they'd had.

Both stared at each other in shared amazement until at the same time, almost as if they'd planned it, they both whispered, "Aaron."

Voicing the boy's name released Jack from his stunned silence. "Where is he?" he asked, worried about the child he suddenly thought of as his son.

Kate answered right away, without any hesitation. "With Claire." A question already forming on Jack's lips, she continued explaining what she was certain in her heart was the truth. "He hasn't been born yet," she said, thinking back to the name Claire had given her unborn son at the hospital.

That Aaron and the Aaron from her mind were one and the same, she was absolutely positive of this. But what she didn't know was how she ended up looking after Claire's child, the two had never even met before. Or so she'd once thought.

Jack frowned, trying to remember why the name sounded so familiar to him. "There was a Claire in my father's will. Someone named Claire Littleton. I didn't know who she was, neither did my mom..." he trailed off doubtfully. What were the chances of the two Claire's being the same person?

A shiver ran through Kate, so strong that she felt as if something deep inside of her had shifted slightly. "I met this pregnant Australian woman at the airport, I think she was on our plane," she said, leaving out the part of how she'd met Claire in the first place.

"What does she have to do with Aaron?" he wondered.

"Her name was Claire Littleton," Kate replied, seeing the shock register on Jack's face. "What if it's not just a coincidence, Jack? It's too strange, all of us being on the same plane and her name being in your father's will."

Her suggestion made Jack frown and run his hands through his short hair. Kate waited patiently for him to voice his thoughts aloud.

"Maybe it's not just Claire," he said, surprising her. "I know this sounds crazy but ever since our plane landed in L.A., I've been seeing other passengers everywhere. Yesterday I ran into the man who sat beside me and another guy who'd been choking on heroin in the bathroom. I think this is about more than just us. What if everyone on that plane is involved somehow?"

Now Kate was really thinking too, forcing her brain to try and remember who she'd seen on the flight. "James, the cop who wants to arrest me, he was on Oceanic 815 too. Oh my god, Jack. I think you're right. I've been having this really strange feeling ever since we left Sydney.

"When the plane landed, I couldn't help thinking that something wasn't right. That things weren't supposed to happen this way. And what if they weren't? Maybe our plane was never supposed to touch down in L.A.," she said, finally giving voice to the thoughts that had been nagging at her ever since she escaped from the Marshal at the airport.

Jack nodded absently, his thoughts whirling too fast for him to speak. Things were starting to come together, like pieces of a puzzle, and he felt the rightness of it deep in his soul.

"So if everyone else is part of this too, then I guess we have to go talk to them and get this figured out. And I believe you, Kate. I haven't felt right either since getting off that plane. I think if we can get all of the people who were on the flight together in one place again, maybe we can make some sort of plan," he suggested already wracking his brains for the perfect meeting place, and how he was going to find everyone who'd been on the flight.

The weight of what he was trying to accomplish came crashing down upon him, threatening to send him into a full-blown panic attack, but he felt Kate grab his hand and he remembered that he wasn't alone in this. She was right by his side.

"We should start with Claire," she told him, an idea Jack was in full agreement with.

The entire task seemed so daunting, and so much could still go wrong, but with Kate nearby he felt like he could handle it.

It was at that moment that the elevator lurched again, finally continuing in its descent to the ground floor after hours of remaining still. Kate's heart began to beat faster, knowing who would be waiting for her when the doors opened.

Jack felt her tremble and he squeezed her hand, reminding her that he would be by her side throughout it all.

_It's strange, _she thought absently. _I came here all alone and feeling like the whole world was against me. Now I'm walking out with practically an entire family beside me, or just waiting for me to find them._

The doors dinged open, parting like the gates to hell – or heaven – and Kate held onto Jack's hand as tightly as possible, he was her lifeline after all. Through their close contact she channeled the calm flowing from him. He smiled down at her and his grin helped her realize that no matter who was waiting on the other side, they would face the unknown together.

They'd figure out the rest of this mystery later, but right now they would step out of the elevator side by side – just like it was supposed to be. She could do that now.

So Kate took a deep breath and, as the light spilled in from the outside world, she stepped forward into her future. Not alone this time.

* * *

Yes, I honestly do believe that Kate is innocent in the alternate universe. Either she's a really good liar or she actually isn't guilty, in my opinion. But tonight's episode might just prove me wrong...we'll see. ;) And I think it's time the survivors start realizing the connections they have to each other, so I figured I'd do it Jate style!


End file.
